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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24100783">foundation</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/splashstar/pseuds/splashstar'>splashstar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Vocaloid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Twins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:49:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>950</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24100783</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/splashstar/pseuds/splashstar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hey, wait a second, are you...wearing foundation?”</p><p>“What? No.”</p><p>[originally written in August 2017]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kagamine Len &amp; Kagamine Rin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>foundation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You should have started this project weeks ago and it was already due in a few days.</p><p>You had frustratingly cursed your procrastinating self several times before actually focusing on trying to get at least some of it done. Who cared if it was already past midnight? Definitely not you, that was for sure. Besides, you weren’t the only one still up anyway. In fact, not everyone was even home.</p><p>You were halfway done with one of the clay models when you heard the front door open. Looking up from your work, you saw your twin brother come through the door as he closed it behind him. The clock above the door read 12:53.</p><p>“Jeez, Len, where’ve <em>you</em> been all night?” you asked, looking back down and continuing to mold the clay in your hands. “I didn’t know you did late night rendezvous.”</p><p>“Wh-what?”</p><p>You glanced up and noticed the slight surprise on his face. Had he actually taken you seriously? “I was just kidding,” you reassured him, smiling sheepishly. “No need to look so scared.”</p><p>His shoulders dropped slowly. “Oh.”</p><p>You stared at his face as you put down your clay model. “Hey, wait a second, are you...wearing foundation?”</p><p>“What? No.”</p><p>“Looks like you’re wearing some right now.” You stood up from your seat and walked toward him. “Did Teto-chan do makeup tests on you again or something? Wait, did you even go to her house?”</p><p>“No to both, and, again, I’m <em>not</em> wearing makeup,” he repeated, backing away from you.</p><p>“C’mon, you’re a better liar than that!”</p><p>“Rin, do not touch my face.”</p><p>You playfully reached for his left wrist and grabbed it to keep him from moving. “Len, I wanna--”</p><p>Len quickly retracted his arm out of your grasp. “<em>Let go of me!</em>”</p><p>It was silent between the two of you. You glanced up from your brother’s trembling hands and saw the look on his face--fearful, agitated--and you realized that you heard those exact emotions in his voice just then.</p><p>“Whoa...uh…” You slowly put your hand down. “Sorry, I just...can I see your face? I’m not gonna, like...hurt you or anything.”</p><p>Len hesitated. His aquamarine eyes looked away to the side as he kept still. “Fine,” he sighed.</p><p>You gently swabbed his cheek with your middle and ring fingers, and, just as you had suspected, you felt powdery makeup on your fingertips. You wiped it off on your pajama shorts. “Yup, that’s definitely foundation. Why do you--”</p><p>You were caught off guard at what you saw when you looked back up to him. Right where you had touched his cheek and removed some of the makeup on his face, you faintly saw a purple-blue mark peeking out from under the remainder of his foundation. “Len, is that a <em>bruise</em>…?” you asked, a concerned look on your face.</p><p>Len didn’t answer. He bit his lip and continued avoiding eye contact with you. You didn’t realize it before, but his eyes were a little puffy, as if he had been crying earlier. You knew your brother was a bit of a crybaby, but this seemed strange. You remembered him being completely fine earlier; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been making those sarcastic--but funny--comments about Oliver this morning.</p><p>“Len, who did this to you?” you urged.</p><p>“No one,” he answered, trying to sound definitive--and failing to do so.</p><p>He really was usually a better liar than this.</p><p>You shook your head. “I know you wouldn’t do this to yourself. And you probably didn’t trip somewhere, even though you are kinda clumsy sometimes. So who did it?” you pressed. “I’ll kick their butt right now.”</p><p>“Rin, please…”</p><p>You frowned, your face twisting into a determined expression. “Len, I’m dead serious. Tell me who--”</p><p>The boy suddenly pushed you away by your shoulders. “Rin, <em>please</em>, just leave me alone!” he shouted.</p><p>You locked eyes with him. Judging by his nervous face, he must not have meant to do that. You stared at him silently in worry. His eyes couldn’t meet yours any longer and they darted away from you. “Rin, I...I’m sorry, I didn’t…”</p><p>“I know,” you said softly, gripping your left wrist and looking down at your feet as you backed off. “It’s fine.”</p><p>You stood in uncomfortable silence until Len turned and walked up the stairs. You watched him go, catching one last glimpse of the bruise on his face and another unhidden mark near his collarbone that you hadn’t noticed before.</p><p>Something was going on with Len; you knew that much. You had to tell someone or this would never be resolved--and you knew just who to go to. Thankfully, they were also still awake.</p><p>You left your hopeless mess of a project on the table where you had been working, and you soundlessly made your way up the staircase when you knew Len was in the room the two of you shared, hopefully sleeping. You quietly knocked on the door to Kaito’s room--you could see the light of his lamp from under the door--and prepared yourself, holding your breath as you waited tensely for him to answer. The door opened after a few seconds and your aquamarine eyes met a pair of cobalt eyes on a confused face.</p><p>“Rin-chan?” Kaito addressed you in a hushed voice. “It’s really late. Do you need something?”</p><p>You glanced at the door with the sign that had yours and Len’s names on it and looked back up to Kaito. You gestured at him to lean down. Once he did, you cupped your hands around his ear and whispered into it. “There’s something up with Len. I need your help.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>butterfly on your right shoulder has been my favorite vocaloid song for years and i'm 10000% sure it inspired this</p></blockquote></div></div>
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